Workholder for machine tool beds



June 18, 1929. D. D. WELLS 1. 17. 4

WORKHOLDER FOR MACHINE TOOL BEDS Filed May 29, 1926 I 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 18, 1929. wE s I 1,717,641

Patented June E8, 1929.

DANIEL D. WELLS, OF ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO.

WORKHOLDER FOR MACHINE TOOL BEDS.

Application filed May 29,

My invention relates to Vises or clamps for holding work upon the bed of planing, milling or similar machines, and the object is to provide a simple and efficient device whereby the work will be firmly held upon the bed in position to be acted upon by the knives, planers or other tools of the machine. The invention seeks to provide a compact mechanism which may beeasily adjusted to the work and will eli'ectnally resist lateral strain so that the work will bemaintained in the position in which it is set. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying. drawings and willbe hereinafter fully set forth.

In the drawings: 1

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of one embodiment ottheinvention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of one assembly of the vise;

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a fulcrum member which is employed in the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1

Fig. t is a sectional elevation of a second embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the locking member. I

In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates a portion of the bed of a planing or similar machine and 2 designates a bar which is to be clamped to the bed plate for milling, planing, trimming or other operation. The bedplate is provided with longitudinal invertedfl T'shaped slots 01' grooves 3 extending its entire length at opposite sides ol the position in which the work is to be placed as is the common practice. m i I t The vise of my invention includesa jaw 4 which is preferably a bar of rectangular cross'section havingits forward facet at a right angle to its bottom 6, the jaw being adapted to rest upon the bed plate and the forward face being presented to the work. A jaw is disposedat' each side of the work and means are provided to lock the jaw in a set position upon the bed plate. In the upper edge of each jaw is'aseries of looking teeth 7 which are preferably of the same form as ordinarily given ratchet teethwith their points directed away from the work, and in the forward end of each jaw is a socket 8 which is inclined downwardly and forwardly, as clearly shown. Spanning each jaw is an anchoring body or member 9 which is substantially an inverted U-shaped structure through whichthe jaw extends and With- 1926. Serial No. 112,581.

in which, over the aw, is a locking member 10, said locking member being provided on its under face with teeth 11 mating and adapted to engage with the teeth Tor" the jaw, as shown and as will be understood. In

the rear end of the locking member is a recessor socket 12 which is semi-spherical 'in form and is adapted to receive the ball or sphere 12-3 at the forward end of an adusting screw 1a which is threaded through the head or bridge member 15 of the anchor ing body, the screw being provided at its rear extremity'witl'i a fiat-sided head 16 to be engaged by a turning tool. In the drawings, I have shown the socket or seat 1221s entirely open at its outer or rear sideybut 1t is to be understood that if so desired the edges of the scat may be compressed about the ball 13 so as toprevent separation of the.

locking element from the adjusting screw. The anchoring body has its side members formed each with a vertical portion 17 and an upwardly and rearwardly inclined portion '18 GXtBDCl'LHgfIO m the upper end or the ver tical portion, this inclination of the'upper portion of the sides disposing the adjusting screw in a convenient position for adjusting thedevice and also bringing the upper portion of the anchoring body and the parts cooperatingtherewith away from the work so thattheywill not interfere with the travel- .ing planer, cutter or other working element of the machine; The; vertical side portion 17 has its terminal formed into a substantially L-shaped foot 19 which is adapted to pass throughthe stem of the inverted T-. shaped groove or slot 3 and causeits too 20 to engage under the forward overhanging wall of the headyof the groove. *The rear side of this foot is inclined and reduced, as-indicated at 21, whereby the foot may be readily entered into and engaged with the groove and ashoulder22 isprovided at the rear side of the foot at the junction of the same with the vertical side portion 17 adapted to rest upon the'bed plate, as clearly shown.

By slightly tilting the anchoring body, the

'ioot 19Tmay ,be easily passed into the slot and therbody then rocked to engage the too 20 in anchoring position, as willbe understood.

In the socket ,8 is fitted a work-engaging pin consisting of a stem 23 of circular cross section to be insertedin the socket and a head or blade 2a which is preferably taper-ed forwardly toterminate in a compara tivelythin edge. 25. ihe head may be of conical formation, if preferred, so as to terminate in a. point and with some classes of work the point. is more desirable than the laterally expanded wedge-shaped head illustrated. It. will be readily noted that the work-engaging point is'directed downwardly and forwardly with respect to the jaw so that. the holding force is exerted downwardly against the workand, consequently, the

work will be firmly held of, the machine. I I

It is desirable to elevate the forward end of the jaw so that, when pressure is applied thereto, the point 24 will be caused to operate downwardly against the 'work and thereby down upon the bed firmly secure the latter; For this purpose,,a

fulcrum member 26 is providechsaid member consisting of a transverse arcuate plate or bridge 27, adapted to seat closely within a concave groove 28 formed across the under side of the aw adjacent the front endthereof, and side plates or wings 29 rising from the ends of the bridge member 27 and preferably integral therewith. Each side plate or wing 29 is providedat its upper semi-circular ed e with an inwardl )ro ectin overhan z: l b a ing rib or flange 80 adapted to engage in a semi-circular groove 31'provided therefor inthe side of the jaw, the fulcrum member being thereby held firmly to the aw and separation of the parts being prevented. One

2 side plate or wing, 29 is equipped with a handle or lever member 32 whereby it may be adjusted. I V I In applylng the device for use, the anchoring body is engaged with the slots or grooves 3 in the bed of 'the'machine, as above described, and thejaw is inserted through the anchoring body so that it'wi'll rest upon the bed of the machine,ithe locking wedge 10 being withdrawn suficiently to permit the ready insertion of the aw. The'work-engaging pins are fitted in the sockets 8 provided therefor and the fulcrum member is then rocked to the position shown in Fig. 1 so that the forward corners of the fulcrum member will rest upon the bed and the rear corners thereof will be lifted from the bed, the jaw being thus'set in an inclined position with its front e11d elevatecl. The work-engaging pins are set against the opposite sides of the r work and the jaws pushed forward so that the pins will be held tothe work. The looking elements 10 are then set in engagement with the upper sides of the respective jaws;

and the adjusting screws 14 actuated to drive the locking members forwardly and downwardly, and thismovement will, of course, be transmitted directly to the jaws so that they will be likewise driven forwardly toward the work and the locking pins embedded slightly in the sidesof the work. After the pins have been caused to'firmly engage the work, the

fulcrum members are rocked rearwardly so them on the work while the handle 32 of the fulcrum member will be moved out of the way of the traveling elements of the machine.

If the work or the bar to be trimmed is high or larger than may be securely held by the pins, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the form of jaw shown in Fig. 4 may be employed. In Fig. 4, the work 33 is indicated as being considerably larger than the work 2 shown in Fig. 1, and in such e rent the jaw 84 is provided with a vertical extension 35 at its front end sothat, when the two jaws are brought together against-the opposite sides of the work, there will be an extended vertical clamping surface brought against thework so that it will be firmly held, and it will often be suficient to bring the faces of the jaws'directly against the work, as shown. In the event, however,

described vertical extensions;

While, as stated, the work-engaging pins may terminate in points, I'prefer to employ the wedge-shaped heads illustrated in the drawings as I thus obtain a wide edge'to engagethe side of the work so that the clamping' action will be spread over a somewhat greater area of the work and more effectually utilized. It is to be particularly noted that the. reduced widthof the foot on the anchoring body and the inclination of'the rear side of the foot permits it to beeasily engaged in the slot of the bed plate and it is not necessary to slide the vise the entire length of the bed after inserting-the foot in the slot at one end thereof. The inclination of the work-engagingpins and of the adjusting screw causes the jawto be held down firmly on the machine bed and secures the work firmly and accurately upon the same. In adjusting the work-engaging pins to the work, the outer or rear ends of the aws serve as resistances .to'prevent movement of the aws away from the work tools but also holds it firmly directly uponv the bed of the machine so that the work perand, consequently, the pins will be slightly formed will be very accurate. When the de- 7 vice has been adjusted, the jaws cannot lift from the machine bed and thereby permit distortion of the work. It will be understood that a number of the vices will be employed at various points in the length of the bar which is to be planed or trimmed and it is, therefore, possible to firmly clamp a bar which is of irregular form just as effectually as a straight bar is clamped. The device is very light and easily handled and is not bolted to the machine bed but, when in place, is firmly anchored thereto. Inasmuch as it is not bolted to the machine bed, it may be very easily and quickly removed and applied so that the proper number of vices may be employed and arranged in such position as may be desirable for the particular Work to be done. It is also possible with this vise to clamp thin strips upon the machine bed so that very thin stock may be operated upon.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A vise for holding work upon the bed of a planing or similar machine comprising similar jaws adapted to rest upon a machine bed and movable thereon toward opposite sides of work resting on the machine bed, anchoring bodies'each spanning a jaw and constructed at its lower end to interlock with the machine bed, a locking member fitted within the respective anchoring body over the aw, said member and the jaw being provided with mating interengaging locking teeth and the said member being provided in its upper rear end with a concave seat, the teeth on the jaw being pointed away from the work-engaging end of the aw and an adjusting screw mounted in the end of the anchoring body and provided at its front end with a ball resting in the seat in the locking member.

2. A vise of the class described comprising a aw adapted to rest upon a machine bed, a downwardly extendmg work-engag1ng element projecting from the front end of the e jaw whereby the work-engaging element will exert pressure downwardly as well as forwardly on the work.

3. A vise of the class described comprising a jaw adapted to rest upon a machine bed,

the jaw being provided in its bottom adjacent its front end witha transverse concave groove and being provided in lts sides with semi-clrcular grooves concentric with said transverse groove, a fulcrum member com- I prising a convex body seating in the concave groove in the bottom of the jaw, and side wings rising from the ends of the said body and provided at their upper ends with inwardly projecting ribs engaging in the semicircular grooves in the sides of the jaw, and means for anchoring the aw to the machine bed and locking the aw in a set position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

DANIEL 1); WELLS. a s] 

